MUSIC REVIEW : ‘TEOLINDA’ AT EL CAMINO COLLEGE

Instead of the usual “Cavalleria Rusticana”/”Pagliacci” double bill, conductor Frank Fetta exhumed a worthy Meyerbeer rarity to pair with Leoncavallo’s one-act tragic opera in a program by the Marina del Rey-Westchester Symphony Saturday at El Camino College.

Meyerbeer’s virtually forgotten “Gli amori di Teolinda” (The Loves of Teolinda) is a florid, 40-minute monodrama for soprano, clarinet, chorus and orchestra, written in 1816 as a vehicle for the famous clarinetist Heinrich Baermann and his lifelong companion, Helene Harlas.

The story, told through a series of virtuoso arias, is simple: The shepherdess Teolinda pines in vain for the shepherd Armidoro who is represented by the solo clarinet.

In what was billed as the West Coast premiere of the work, soprano Alison England brought security, intelligence, taste and uncharacteristic vocal cloudiness to the coloratura challenges. Clarinetist Julian Spear played with bright, seemingly effortless bravura, albeit without much caressing or interpretation of line.

The men’s chorus of nine singers sang weakly. But Fetta conducted with vigor and style.

The concert version of “Pagliacci,” which included some acting by the soloists, was marred by several silly stage pictures as characters popped in and out of the wings to make their cues. The ending in particular looked odd as Canio “stabbed” Nedda and Silvio across an expanse of about 15 feet--and they stood as if statues with eyes closed.

Still, there were major vocal compensations. Peter Van Derick made a virile, resonant Tonio. Joan Zajac was a weary, fatalistic and opulent-sounding Nedda.

Unfortunately, Baldo dal Ponte proved a push-button Canio who rarely inhabited the role and only marked out the big vocal moments.

Robin Buck made a reasonably impetuous Silvio. Jeffrey Gerstein was a pale-voiced Beppe.

The augmented Musart Singers offered rather spineless singing. Fetta again conducted with force and lyricism.